CONFUSED

but if you are a generally clean person and clean EVERY DAY, and not once a month, so you don't live in a sty, then it doesn't matter how much you sweat, burn calories, or get out of breath. That is a part of you daily expenditure burn. Your body expects that burn and your body knows it's going to happen.

Stop logging 10 minutes of housework. That's not exercise.

True! Unless you're down on your knees and hard at it all day !

So many places I could go with that.

I burn calories when I clean so I put it down. I'm sure guys would put down when they do yard work lol. Plus, I noticed I have been losing more weight when I do active cleaning so I'm not sure what some are talking about.

Exercise is an activity requiring physical effort ...each to their own I say

Stop logging 10 minutes of housework. That's not exercise.

Oooh the negativity! The "ten" minutes was just a "for-instance" not actual time as I couldn't remember if it was an hour I did or not. But thank you for the response.

There was no negativity. It was fact.

But I clearly don't know what I'm talking about and you obviously didn't actually want any real answers so good luck to you in your weight loss goals.

Putting words in the OP's mouth ("clearly", "obviously you didn't") doesn't establish you as a credible or likeable person. Just because you are right does not also automatically mean that you can't be negative.

One - I didn't put words in her mouth. I never said "YOU SAID". If anything, I'm assuming what she wanted not putting words in her mouth. But since you both ASSUMED my tone was "negative", I suppose that makes us even?
Two - I don't care if you like me. I also don't care if you think I'm credible. I posted to be helpful. If someone doesn't want to take that advice, that's their problem. I have been successful in my weight loss goal so it's obviously not my problem.
Three - Please point out ANYWHERE in my OP that was negative. Just because it's not what someone wants to hear does not mean it is negative.

Good god. Between you and the OP, you make me not even WANT to post helpful advice. And yes, my advice would be helpful if she takes it.

I had a response to your points but it didn't post, and I don't really care to retype it. You seem like you're having a rough day, and I'm sorry that your choice to command OP to "stop" logging housework as exercise didn't go over as well as you'd hoped. That doesn't mean you shouldn't ever post advice, but perhaps consider not being harsh on someone who admits that they are still figuring out how the site works. Congratulations on your weight loss, but remember that not all of us are at the same level of knowledge on our journeys. And just because we aren't doesn't mean we are unwilling to become educated. Hence why OP posted. Have a lovely day.

What the hell is going on here? Is this gang up on people who post good advice day? You're the one being harsh.

It's rather aggravating that anyone considers housework or shopping to be "working out" worthy of calorie burn logging. I'm not even sure why it's part of the cardio section at all, to be honest, and it can and does confuse people at first. Those kinds of burns (because yes, you DO burn) falls under your TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Everything that we do burns calories over the course of the day, but if you factor in burns that are supposed to be in this category separately, you're screwing up your totals for the day and making things more complicated.

Keep it simple-- if you work up a true sweat, log it. If you don't, don't! And if your sweating is part of your daily job, and therefore part of the Activity Level Modifier that you choose when determining your BMR and TDEE, then don't count that as a separate burn. Easy peasy. Good luck, and feel free to add me, I promise I will never jump down your throat if you have questions like others on these forums love to do.

Am I just seeing things wrong? I'm still working things out on this site.

It seems to me that, for instance, if I do ten minutes on my elliptical trainer versus ten minutes on housework MFP puts the housework as more calories loss. But I sweat more doing the elliptical. Doesn't seem right to me. I'm confused by it. I mean if that is the case then I'll just do my housework lol.

OK I'm going to try to explain this on a very very basic level.

It doesn't matter if you are sedentary and cleaning puts you out of breath.

Why? Because the ONLY person who should be logging cleaning as exercise is the person who joined MFP and prior to doing so NEVER CLEANED THEIR HOUSE on a regular basis.

you are supposed to log any exercise you do OVER AND ABOVE what you do on a daily basis. Your purposeful burns. So...

for example, if you decided to clean your house from top to bottom in a day, and you do that maybe twice a year, then wear your HRM and log it.

but if you are a generally clean person and clean EVERY DAY, and not once a month, so you don't live in a sty, then it doesn't matter how much you sweat, burn calories, or get out of breath. That is a part of you daily expenditure burn. Your body expects that burn and your body knows it's going to happen.

that is why you don't log cleaning, and the only reason it's in MFP is for those purposeful log days when you go over and above your daily expenditure.

So based on that I should be logging my sexual activity! (since on the road and it doesnt happen THAT often)

Stop logging 10 minutes of housework. That's not exercise.

It is if your baseline is sedentary.

Stop logging 10 minutes of housework. That's not exercise.

True! Unless you're down on your knees and hard at it all day !

So many places I could go with that.

And to the folks saying cleaning is not exercise, Hell yes it is! I clean my entire house lugging a vacuum up and down stairs, mopping, scrubbing, dusting, sweeping, taking garbage out, folding and putting away laundry, etc. I do all this non stop, without rest until I am done. That is exercise!

I'm really quite amazed by the negative comments regarding housework...for those of you who are slamming people who count in all the 'little things' that they do - do you feel that's encouraging anyone? Chances are, the people who include all those little things are not 'gym' people and perhaps they're intimidated by those people who are already very fit, very healthy, and are successful at this. By bashing what they're doing, you may send them right back to the couch with a bag of chips - why not go with the 'every little bit helps' message - instead of making them feel like what they ARE doing is pointless?

I personally don't include housework in my activities - but some days, when nothing is going right, not getting the workout I should, not eating well - hey, 10 minutes of housework might be the only positive in my day. And it sure would feel better to have someone say 'good for you' as opposed to 'what a waste of time'

I'm not the type to stand on a soap box but I'm personally on here for support, not to see people be rude to others. Maybe some of you don't remember what it was like when you were just starting out, but EVERY word of support helps someone who needs the support.

In my universe, leading people to believe their housework that they would be doing anyway "counts" as exercise would be negative and enabling. Just because someone is out of shape and having a bad day doesn't mean that doing their normal daily activities will get them any closer to fitness. Telling them so would just be coddling, and counter-productive to helping them attain any level of fitness.

Sometimes the truth hurts. "You're fat." "You're weak", "You're out of shape". People have to face the truth in order to improve. When I first started out in my fat, weak, out of shape condition, there were a few people who told me, "but you don't need to lose any weight!", "You look good!", etc. These people were not in any way helpful.